Tōketsu (Frozen)
by SinistrousDelirious
Summary: When Hinata wraps the Hyuga clan in flames, effectively destroying it, she leaves. After 4 years she is found and returns with a dark confession. Can they stop the chaos before it falls upon them? And can Hinata resist the temptation? She will have to destroy the sealed creature that she carries with her, before all is lost. Possible HinataOC (Gaahina friendship)M for safety
1. Chapter 1:Prologue:Hyōga no Ookami

Summary:When Hinata wraps the Hyuga clan in flames, effectively destroying it, she leaves. After 4 years she is found and returns with a dark confession. Can they stop the chaos before it falls upon them? And can Hinata resist the temptation? She will have to acquire more insight on the sealed creature that she carries with her, before all is lost. _"All was wreathed in flame, as she stepped on our plain and burned all in her path."_  
Rated M for gore, blood/violence and language. Hinata and Gaara Friendship, possible HinataOC

Full (different)summary: After the death of Shino and Kiba, Hinata broke down. One night, the Hyuga estate burned down to the ground and Hinata disappeared from Konoha. Four years later, they still haven't found her and they are still desperately trying.  
When Hinata returns she is even farther from the person she used to be. What happened in the Hyuga clan? Why did she leave without a trace? Soon, they find out that there is more to it than just the death of her teammates. If they don't find a way to stop it, the shinobi world will fall into chaos.

**A/N: IMPORTANT: In my fic, Naruto became the Rokudaime Hokage after Tsunade. I kind of cut off from the main story arc right after Pain. So they defeated Akatsuki and Gaara got the Shukaku removed and all that. I kind of ignored all the Danzo crap too. Sasuke hasn't been located and confronted yet. If I need to clarify anything else, just say so. It's a work of fiction, so I'm not obliged to follow EVERYTHING from the manga :p Naruto knows who his parents are and so do the villagers. I just cut off from a certain point and worked from there.  
In the first flashback they are around 17years old and after that 20-21ish.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. Only the plot and some OC's are mine.  
****WARNING****: English is NOT my mother tongue! So typos and wrongly used tenses WILL happen! I'm in a teacher trainee college and one of my subjects is English, but it's far from perfect.  
OOC Hinata! This is rated M for: language, blood/violence and stuff. Rated M for safety :p Enjoy.**

** Tōketsu**_** (frozen)  
**_**  
-Chapter 1: Prologue: Hyōga no Ookami**

_He stood, watching. Frozen in place. It was pitch black outside, but the red-orange glow in the distance was unmistakable. The night was lit on fire. He knew it was not yet time for dawn._

He couldn't move, mouth agape, eyes fixed upon the large estate being swallowed by flame and smoke in the distance. He could hear a commotion outside, people screaming. He saw people running towards the flaming buildings.

He was positive that it was the Hyūga clans' estate that was being reduced to ashes. He was just about to call someone when the window at his side was shoved open. He started and turned his head. His eyes widened even more when he saw a young girl, breathing heavily- almost hyperventilating-, perched on the window sill. One hand clenching the window, cracking the glass and the other clutching the material on her chest.

He gasped as his gaze fell upon her tattered and burned clothes flapping around her frame, illuminated by the red glow. The sight that shocked and scared him the most, where her eyes. Her normal pools of pearly white that held a soft kindness for all, had an unfriendly, harsh, scared and enraged veil draped over them while she stared at the floor.

"_**I'm leaving."**__ She screamed in a coarse voice. Voice raw and wreathed with sorrow. Still breathing harshly, she looked him squarely in the eyes. Her tangled mess of hair hanging limply around her face.  
"__**I'm fucking out of here!**__" She screeched._

And that was that. In a flash she was gone, only the cracked glass betrayed someone was ever there. He was still staring at the spot she was sitting just a moment ago, unmoving. And he knew, even if he didn't want to admit it, that she would not return.

Hyūga Hinata had left Konohagakure.

He looked back to the sea of red and orange. His shoulders sagged in defeat.  
And Rokudaime Uzumaki Naruto had no idea what to do.

Sabaku no Gaara was not really new to trees and other greenery. But he couldn't help but look around as he entered the Land of Fire for what could be the millionth time. He didn't like leaving his village Kazekageless but sometimes he was required elsewhere for business. Baki was an excellent substitute for when he was travelling, so was his brother.

Gaara went to Konoha at least every few months. He had to keep the peace treaty between Konoha and Suna healthy, so that nothing could break it. But mostly it was to visit one of his precious friends, though. Uzumaki Naruto was his first and most treasured friend. He was positive that they would always be allies. And they would be even after their time, they would make sure of that. The peace treaty would be there forever.

Naruto had opened his cage, coaxed him out of it and shattered it afterwards. And after all these years, he even cleaned up the debris of his broken, fictional prison. Naruto saved him. He was his first friend and he owed him greatly for turning his life around.

So he liked to visit him often, not only because they were allies. Naruto was always pleased to see him and they often spend a week at Konoha. Two days were used to discuss politics, the rest for relaxing and roaming around the village.  
Naruto always made time to spend those few days with his red headed friend, others of the rookie nine also joined them regularly. He knew Temari appreciated it. Whenever he went, his nee-san accompanied him. She claimed that it was just to protect him and enjoy the nice weather the Land of Fire was usually blessed with, but he knew better.

It was so she could see the Nara boy. Gaara may have still have troubles understanding relationships, friend wise and lover wise, but even he could see it. Her fierce, green eyes would light up around the lad. He even caught her blushing once. Even the lazy Nara changed a bit when he saw her walking through the gates. His tired gaze softened and a tiny smile graced his face.

Gaara scowled when he thought of the boy. He didn't like the fact that he, or _any boy_ for that matter, showed that kind of interest in his sister. But he hadn't held a grudge for long. His sister was happy. And who was he to take that away from her?

He glanced at his sister walking next to him. One of his invisible eyebrows rose slowly as he looked at her.  
Was she _humming_? She even had a small bounce in her step! He snorted. It was so painstakingly obvious why she was so darn happy. His gaze turned 180° and landed on his brother. He was munching on some kind of snack at the moment and poking nearby trees with a stick.

His brother also frequently joined them to the Land of Fire. Gaara knew for certain that he didn't particularly have someone in the village that he had his eyes on, but Kankuro liked to spend time with his siblings he supposed.  
Mostly, he stayed at Suna to temporarily replace Gaara when he was gone, but sometimes he came with and left Baki to it.

"_Someone has got to look after you! That love-drunk git wouldn't see a kunai coming even if it was 20 feet long and bright neon coloured!" _Kankuro had exclaimed laughing, one day.  
"_I am NOT love-drunk, baka! And I'm perfectly capable of protecting our little brother! Besides, nobody would attack him in Konoha, they're our allies." _Temari had shouted furiously at Kankuro while smacking him on the head. Kankuro had sauntered over to Gaara's side and had whispered in his ear while giggling and grinning  
"_She didn't deny the git bit though."_  
Temari had heard that though, so a small verbal warfare had ensued. Gaara had watched his siblings in amusement from the sidelines. Slightly smiling at their antics.

He didn't need protection, but he was happy that they cared so much for him. He was glad that he changed for the better. His relationship with his siblings had improved drastically. They were _actual_ siblings now.

He loved these precious moments with his brother and sister. They missed out on a lot of so-called sibling bonding in the past, so he wanted to spend as much time as he could with them. But he also had duties to attend to in the village, so his time with them was often short and far in between.

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Warm sunshine on his back, his siblings by his side and soon he would see his companions again. This turned out to be a fine day.  
He frowned as he thought of Naruto again. His friend had been quite depressed some years back. Another one of his friends had left Konoha a while back.  
He still remembered the message he received.

"_Hyūga_ _Hinata has abandoned Konoha."_

It was short, nothing at all like the usual messages he send. He had hurried to Konoha, going straight to the Hokage tower when he arrived. He remembered their conversation clearly.

-Flashback-  
_  
Gaara knocked on the door and opened without getting permission to. Naruto sat in his chair, the back facing him while Gaara was still breathing heavily from sprinting_

"Yo, Gaara." He could hear him say softly. He had never sounded so defeated in his presence.  
"Naruto, what happened? Your message was… unclear." Gaara had muttered the last part. His eyes were looking absently at a wall.

Naruto turned his chair around and Gaara's eyes widened a bit. Naruto's usual spiky hair looked unwashed and hung limply in his face. He wore a frown and bags under his eyes. But his eyes were what shocked Gaara the most. The clear blue eyes which held so much determination and passion, were lifeless. They had lost their sparkle.  
"She just left. The Hyūga estate burned down. She looked so angry and so sad. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't SAY anything." He whispered. Naruto put his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes. He was clearly exhausted.

"You have any clues as to why she left? Were there…casualties?" Gaara asked.  
"Her cousin and sister survived, her father just barely. I spoke to them a while ago. Her sister couldn't stop crying and Neji didn't say a thing at first. Her father wants nothing to do with her anymore. She killed all the elders and tried to kill her own father. " Naruto muttered while looking at his hands.

"Sakura was able to save him though. Why would Hinata do this Gaara? Why would she want to destroy her own family?" He continued. Naruto looked utterly lost.  
Gaara didn't know what to say. Why HAD she done it? He had no idea.

"You didn't get any clues from her remaining family members?" Gaara tried. "They just said she was so angry. She had screamed of betrayal and death. Neji said she didn't look like Hinata at all. It was as if the fire had wrapped around her. He said it looked like a strong jutsu, that she was manipulating the fire. But she wasn't particularly strong at fire jutsu and rarely used it. She could never have created so much fire and with such control over it." He answered, his face distraught.

"But the building burned down, didn't it? She didn't have control then." Gaara noted.  
Naruto shook his head. "Neji said she knew what she was doing. She was incredibly angry and emotional, but she really controlled the fire, as if it did her bidding. " He shook his head again and cupped his face in his palms.  
" After her killing spree and the fire she grabbed some stuff and disappeared. I was the last one to see her." Naruto mumbled in his hands. Gaara cupped his chin in thought.

"How come her sister and cousin survived?" Gaara asked. Naruto looked him in the eyes, finally. Tears were evident in them.  
"Neji said she walked right past them. She didn't even look at them, she went straight to the elders. She didn't touch any of the maids as well. Some died in the fire, but she didn't try to hurt them deliberately." Naruto croaked out.

"Gaara, what do I do? Most people want to make her a missing nin. I can't, I just can't bear the thought of someone of our own to kill her. She must have had a reason! But we have no idea where she is. And we are still looking for Sasuke too. People are doubting our judgment. We may have a war on our hands soon. Who do I look for first? " Tears where slipping down his face now. His quiet sobs filled the room as he banged his fist on the table. Gaara didn't know what to say.  
"I'm a horrible Hokage." He heard him whisper. Gaara's eyes hardened. He walked closer to the desk where Naruto sat.

"You are NOT a horrible Hokage " He remarked.  
" There was something going on in her head that day. I knew her as well, she didn't look like someone who would do something like this without a good reason to. We're going to find her. Suna will help." Gaara lectured. Naruto looked at him with hope in his eyes and a small flicker of confidence returned in his gaze.  
Naruto nodded and they grasped each other's forearm in agreement. They would find her.

And they would, no matter how long it took. Four years had passed since that conversation. They still hadn't given up. He was on his way right now for another meeting about politics and the 'Hyūga Disappearance Case' as they called it. Naruto had lost his depressed attitude after a few months and was his normal perky self again. He did not, however, give up on his friends. He put most of his energy in finding clues to Hinata's whereabouts, and Sasuke's too.

Gaara wasn't lying when he said he knew the Hyūga a bit too. He'd seen her on his visits. Sometimes she replaced the Nara as a guide and representative for Konoha. She was shy and quiet, but friendly and always had a smile and a blush on her face. She was strong, he knew that. She was a chunin who had made jounin shortly after. Naruto spoke highly of her.

He had visited Konoha too when her teammates had died. He had received a short message from Naruto about it, asking if he wanted to come. He had paid his respects. He had met the Inuzuka and the Aburame before.

During his visit, he had seen the Hyūga girl. She had been quiet before, but she had looked happy and radiated a certain warmth. When they had ran into her, she looked completely different. Her eyes had been empty, her smile gone. She wore simple civilian clothes and her hair was unkempt. Her warmth had made room for an air of sorrow and cold. She didn't even see them as she passed by.

"_Holy shit, is that Hinata?" _Temari said in a shocked stage whisper.  
"_The Hinata whose teammates got killed?"_ Kankuro had answered.  
"_Yeah, she looks completely different, I almost didn't recognize her. You know, Shikamaru told me how it happened." _Temari began.  
"_Apparently, her team got ambushed by some shinobi from somewhere. Her teammates got hurt badly and she and the nin dog had to carry them back. But they had died somewhere along the way and she had to carry their corpses for 2 days or so before she made it back." _Temari had muttered.

"_Shikamaru was the one who saw her arrive at the gates. She was covered in dried blood and her eyes looked so haunted, he said. She probably hadn't slept in days. She kept saying 'keep walking, got to make it back' when he reached her. And suddenly she dropped the teammate she was carrying and promptly fainted. She didn't wake up for 4 days. "_

_"They thought they had lost her too. They were overjoyed when she woke up. But when they told her that Shino and Kiba had died, she had screamed so loudly. She probably thought they were still alive when they were carrying them back._  
_She didn't speak to anyone after that. They say she goes to their graves every day, for the whole day."_  
_  
"Seriously? That's harsh. Poor girl completely broke down. " _Kankuro had rubbed his hat and scratched his hair underneath it.  
They had kept staring at her until she had disappeared out of sight.  
Not long after they had got the message that she had left. Gaara sighed. He hoped they would at least find a legitimate clue sometime soon.

He was still trailed off in thought when he heard a sudden rustle from his right. He stopped mid-step and his head snapped towards the shrubbery at his right. His siblings stopped a few steps ahead, looking confused.

"What is it, Gaara?" Temari asked looking oddly at her brother. Gaara shushed her and turned his whole body, glaring into the bushes. Everything was quiet, except for a few bird calls. After a few moments, his face turned back to his blank expression he usually wore.  
"It was probably noth-"

His sentence was cut off as he saw a few blurs jump from the surrounding forest. The sand siblings quickly formed a tight circle, protecting their backs. Six unknown ninja flanked them. They had no Hitai-Ate Gaara could see, so they had to be rogue ninja or just some local gang.

Temari had her fan in hand, his brother had his fingers raised. Kankuro's puppets would jump out and attack in seconds. His sand was already flowing around them like a barrier. He glared at the ninja's.

"Well, well. Looky here. The Kazekage an' his siblings. Tha famous Sand Siblin' trio." The one in front of them observed in an accented slur. He smirked, took a drag from the cigarette that was dangling from his lips and bowed deeply as if mocking.

"It's an honour, sirs and miss. Unfortunately, ya crossed our path. We hafta stick to our code. Your shinies and belongings please, then ya life if ya would be so kind." The man grinned with crooked teeth while showing them his outstretched arm and palm, wriggling his fingers to make his point.

Kankuro snorted. "As if," he said, "you're going down buddy. You and your cronies." The unknown shinobi laughed. They didn't look like much. They had guts to attack them so close to Konoha, but that was all they had. They wore ninja wear, but it looked old and stolen. It would protect them from a few kunai, yes, but they were no match for them. Some sported a katana or even a wicked sharp looking spear, others had their fingers ready to make seals.

"_So they know Jutsu."_ Gaara thought. He was just whipping his sand in small eddies when he heard a bird call close by. He glanced at a tree in front of him and almost jumped. And just barely visible, way up in the canopy, he saw two white specks.

"_Are those…eyes?"_ He thought. He heard another rustle in the bushes in front of him and a shadow shot out. He heard one of the ninja screaming. He turned to the sound and his jaw dropped. A giant dire wolf had clamped its teeth on the leg of one of the ninja. The ninja in question tried to smack the head of the creature to make it let go, but the oversized dog was persistent. It growled and sunk its teeth even deeper.

Another ninja rushed to his comrade's aid but the wolf threw the guy between its jaws at the other ninja. When they landed in a heap, the wolf leapt at them and bit the throat out of the top one. The one at the bottom screamed as he was showered in blood. The others where in uproar. They didn't know what to do and just stood there, cursing, with horrified expressions on their faces.

The large wolf pressed his paw on the ninja who laid on top so that the bottom one could not move. It growled at the man and he let out a high pitched whimper.

"_What in the bloody hell _is that thing_?!_" the leader that had spoken to them earlier, cried out. He heard a whispered 'what the fuck' from his brother.  
He looked back at the white specks he had seen. They had vanished. A sudden scream at his right drew his attention.

"What is it now?!" their leader hollered.  
"Look…! Look there!" the other one said. All their head turned to a high branch of a tree.

Gaara saw a figure for a fraction of a second before it jumped away in a flash and landed in front of him, next to the pile of ninja the wolf had caused. The female mysterious ninja was crouched a few meters in front of him, head bowed down. She wore her long dark blue hair in a high ponytail, it flowed around her frame. Black clothing was wiping around her. She was pretty, but she looked deadly.

Strapped at her hip was a scabbard which held twin swords. A standard kunai pouch and shuriken holster was tied around her right leg. He also noted that she was barefooted.  
But the thing that had him, and everyone else for that matter, speechless was the enormous sword that was strapped on her back. Gaara's brother muttered something he couldn't hear.

She slowly lifted a hand to the grip of the large, cleaver-like, sword. And in a sudden flash she was gone from the spot. A gurgle took everyone's attention. They turned to the right and the large sword was sticking out from a ninja's chest. In a matter of seconds she had slipped behind his back and plunged her large sword through him.  
"**Suiton: Teppōdama!" **_(Water style: Water Bullet)_ one ninja cried out and shot a few small bullet formed streams of water at her, she just used the corpse as a shield as 3 bullets hit the corpse and a few hit the ground beside her.

After she deflected the Jutsu, she swung the monstrous thing and the ninja flew right up in the air, blood raining down upon her. She lifted her hands and even some fingers uncurled that were wrapped around the grip of the sword. Droplets of blood fell upon hands, face and frame like a rain of crimson.  
She looked in their direction and grinned wickedly.  
Her pearly white eyes contrast against the dark of her hair and outfit. Blood dripping from her hands and sword. He recognized those eyes.  
"_Hyūga_… _Hinata?"_ He thought as he heard gasps, screams and curses all around him.

"Hyōga no Ookami! " _(Wolf of the Ice/Glacier_) Someone wailed. The rain of crimson stopped and the body crashed to the ground.

A hollow laugh echoed around them, filling their hearts with fear.

-  
Hitai-ate: forehead protector  
Nee-san: suffix used for a sister  
Baka: idiot  
Suiton jutsu: water style technique_  
_**A/N Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and the flashbacks. Some things explained:  
I use some Japanese words and expressions because I've always liked fics that used them. I'll try to translate them as correctly as I can, but I just know some words here and there. I can't be certain they are correct! So if someone sees a mistake, tell me! I'll fix it :p  
I stole the Suiton technique from one of the toads haha… it's a weaker version of it though, and there are multiple bullets too.  
The gang uses slang because…of reasons!  
I used "Hyūga" with the weird 'u' thing because I liked that way of spelling. I also use the 'ō' thing. I'm weird like that :p  
I admire "Sins of the Past" by LucasLAD a lot, so you'll see some similarities maybe (like the way he wrote the jutsu and things like that). Role model! I loved that fic so much, sadly he never finished it. It was so brilliant! DameWren's style was top notch as well. It's been a long time since I wrote a fic, and my English has improved a lot. I just had some good ideas and I wanted to write them. I just waited until I had most of it in my head.  
Anywho, Tell me what you think! Next chapter coming VERY soon because I don't want to keep you waiting too long for the first two chapters.  
-Sinistrous**


	2. Chapter 2: Reluctant Return

A/N: Chapter deux! More things become clear in this chapter, that's why I put it up so fast after the first chapter. Hope you enjoy!  
Japanese words plus other things explained at the bottom of the chapter.  
**IMPORTANT: This will be HinataOC or maybe you choose to leave Hinata single? I want your opinion! Gaara and Hinata will become good friends none the less, Gaara's one of the main characters in my fic. But I'll create some OC's later on, so I'm leaning towards HinataOC more. Tell me what you think!  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I only own the burly man squat featured in the first two chapters. Because…well they die.  
**-

**-Chapter 2: Reluctant Return.**

_He recognized those eyes.  
"Hyūga… Hinata?" He thought as he heard gasps, screams and curses all around him.  
"Hyōga no Ookami! " (Wolf of the Ice/Glacier) Someone wailed. The rain of crimson stopped and the body crashed to the ground.  
A hollow laugh echoed around them, filling their hearts with fear.  
_-

She drove the huge sword in the grassy soil and proceeded to walk in their direction.  
"Don't…don't come any closer!" someone shouted in dismay.

Hinata just kept walking. She suddenly did some lightning fast seals and slammed her palms on to the ground and yelled "**Hyōton: Hyōsō no Jutsu!"**_(Ice Style: Ice Spear Technique)_ Large spikes of ice shot from the ground and pierced one of the ninja. He hung limply in the air, suspended on the spikes, pierced through many vital organs.

"She can use ICE Jutsu?!" one of the survivors yelled. "Three down." Hinata said as she continued walking calmly towards them.  
One wearing a large scarf ran to her and thrust his katana at her, in a split second she had drawn her dual swords and parried, making an X-shape with the blades. Now that they were drawn he had a better look at them.

He recognized them as Dual Dao swords. The hilt was black coloured and had a green cloth grip wrapped around it. The blades itself went wide at the end and turned into a small curious curve. The blades had a golden sheen to it, some characters were carved in both of them but he was too far away to see them. Normally they had a piece of cloth tied to the hilt, but they were seemly removed. They were quite special, Gaara wondered how she acquired them.

She swung them upwards and pirouetted and slashed the enemy ninja across the chest before pulling at his scarf, bringing him down on one of the swords and piercing him through the stomach. He groaned and fell to the soft grass below. He was still twitching.

She flicked the blood of the blade previously used and swiftly sheathed them.

"_She's fast._ " Gaara thought. Even he had trouble following her speed every now and then.  
"Enough!" cried the leader of the group and flung a kunai at her. Hinata dodged and made some lightning fast hand seals. **Inu, Tori, Saru, Inu, Uma, Hitsuji, Ne, Tatsu, Tori**. She raised her palm in the air and flicked it upwards.  
**  
"Hyōga Kyū."** _(Ice/Glacier Coffin)_ She whispered and lifted her hand. Ice crept up the legs of the leader of the -now dead- group of thieves. He shrieked and took a step backwards, but his feet froze to the ground. And up it still crept until his arms were frozen in the air and only his face was free. He was wide-eyed and panting.  
"Did she just… steal Gaara's technique?" Temari whispered tentatively. Kankuro let out an affirmative sound and nodded slowly. Gaara stayed silent and observed further.

Drops of sweat trickled down his filthy face and dripped from his unshaven chin, even though he should have been terribly cold. The sand siblings were still rooted in place as Hinata walked calmly towards the ice coffin she had created. The midday sun fell upon her and for the first time, Gaara actually got a proper look at her.

Her chest was covered in a top of light fabric that looked like a yukata that had been cut off at the hips, it stopped at just above mid-thigh. The half yukata was black and a pattern of golden and green butterflies was dusted on the fabric. Her sleeves were wide and stopped just above her elbows.  
It didn't have the usual wide obi to tie it together. Instead a long, rather thin, white ribbon was used to hold it together. The ribbon was tied tightly, but the yukata top looked loose enough. He saw a glimpse of the standard fish-net shirt underneath.

Under her yukata she had on black shorts that where just visible under the yukata. Her legs were covered in fish-nets as well and her right knee was wrapped from mid-thigh to just below the knee in bandages. She wore black fingerless ninja gloves, with steel plates on the knuckles, that stopped just above her wrists. A long thin scar crawled from underneath the gloves.

She wore no hitai-ate.

When she stood right in front of the man's face, she put her hands inside of her yukata top and pulled something out. The man flinched.  
It was a rolled piece of parchment. She unrolled it and read out loud.

"Hideki Kyosuke, Wanted for murder and theft." She announced loudly, in a monotone voice.  
"Are you Hideki Kyosuke?" She asked the burly man. He gulped and muttered "Hai.".  
Hinata grinned.  
"You're a naughty man, eh? Your head's got quite a price on it." She taunted.  
Gaara could see she was holding a wanted poster, with a sketch of the man's features on it and his name with a price at the top. She put the parchment back inside the folds of her top.

"Now, I got a job in addition to your arrest buddy." Hinata said next. She put her hand up and touched the place where his chest should be with the palm of her hand. She unfroze a patch of ice that covered his chest. She reached into his vest and rummaged for a bit. After a few seconds she pulled out a necklace.

"Aha!" she exclaimed. "The necklace of Lady Minami, and…" she rummaged in his pockets again "her ring too. Pure gold. Lined with diamonds. No wonder that beauty caught your eye." She finished.

Hinata put the jewelry in a small bag and threw that somewhere inside her yukata folds. She perched her hands on her hips. The thief called Kyosuke growled.  
Hinata shook her head and looked him in the eye. "I was asked to retrieve her jewelry and get your little gang alongside of it. You got a decent price on your head, for a dirty piece of scum." She said while smirking. The man snarled and shouted a string of curses and names at the girl.

She completely ignored him and turned her head slightly sideways, her eyes still on the man before her.

"Oi, sensei, " she called. "the poster said dead _or _alive. What will we do?" The sand siblings looked around in confusion, they didn't know who she was referring to. There was nobody around that they could see.  
"Either way is fine, just choose the option that's easiest to carry." Said the dire wolf, to their surprise. All the head whipped around.

"DID THAT DOG JUST TALK!" cried Kankuro while pointing at the creature. The wolf growled at him.  
"I'm not a dog, dimwitted _gaki_." The wolf yelled at him. Kankuro whimpered.

Gaara looked at the wolf again. He examined every inch of the creature. Grey fur covered him from tail to neck, its large head was a jet black colour. The paws of his legs were also black. Over its head hung, pulled sideways over his ears with one poking out, a hitai-ate of Kirigakure and its neck and front legs were covered in bandages. Even his back legs had accessories, some sort of dark grey leg warmers covered them. Its mouth was pulled in a sneer, dangerously sharp canines sticking out. Not an ordinary wolf. The voice definitely came from him.

"Easiest to carry, eh?" Hinata mused, pulling him from his thoughts abruptly. "Alright then." she said after a while, clapping her hands together. The man's expression relaxed.  
"Why are you relieved?" she asked him.  
She raised her hand again and cast a dark look at the man in front of her. The man only had time to widen his eyes and cry out weak pleas and stutters. "No! No please, I… I'll give ya money! Riches beyond ya dreams! Just please,…just don't! I-I-I beg you! " Tears were leaking down his grubby face.

"You have nothing to offer that I want. " Hinata simply said and raised her hand a bit higher.

"**Hyōga Sousou"** _(Ice/Glacier Burial)_ she muttered and crushed her palm in a fist. The ice covered the man's face, cutting of his cries and freezing his teardrops. The ice sort of twisted and pulled and finally, with a sickening crack, looked like it imploded.

Temari covered her mouth to muffle her noise of disgust and unconsciously averted her eyes. Kankuro muttered something along the lines of "Yup, definitely stole it.".  
Blood sparkled inside the ice like rubies.

She suddenly turned around and threw a kunai at the man lying under the corpse of his dead companion, the small blade shot through his head, killing him. The wolf moved away from the corpses, ears pricked up.

"That's six." Hinata chuckled. Suddenly, she turned around to face them. They still hadn't moved from their spot.  
"Aah, " she said boringly, "the famous Sabaku siblings."

Temari and Kankuro gulped.  
"You…you _are_ Hyūga Hinata, right?" Gaara asked. Hinata's gaze snapped to his, she glared.  
"Don't call me that. I don't **belong** with that clan. But yes, it's me." She snarled at him.

Kankuro lost it.  
"DO YOU _KNOW_ HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU?! " he grabbed his head with one arm and flailed his other around, his eyes bulging.  
"WE'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE, ALL FOR YOU AND HERE YOU ARE- " gesturing at her "FREAKING THROWING ICE EVERYWHERE AND KILLING AND CHUCKLING AND SMIRKING AND-"  
"You've been looking for me? Why?" Hinata interrupted, an eyebrow raised at his antics. Temari smacked her idiotic brother.

"Naruto told us what happened. He wanted to find you and we offered our help. We've been looking for you ever since you left." Gaara said to her.

"And now we've found you!" Temari squealed, pumping her fist in the air.  
"Finally! We were just on our way to a meeting about you! Oh wait 'till they see you! They'll be so happy we've brought you back and-"

"Wow, wow, wait a sec." Hinata interrupted again, a hand raised.  
"Who says I'm going back?" She glanced at each of them. Temari looked confused.  
"Wh-why would you not?" Temari stuttered.

Hinata glared again, turned and walked to the wolf that she called sensei.  
"I'm not going back." She deadpanned, while bending down on one knee and scratching the wolf's neck. Its tongue lolled out of its muzzle.

Kankuro stopped stomping and flailing his arms and his jaw dropped.  
"WHAT?" he yelled. "WHY THE FUCK NOT?!"  
She stopped scratching the wolf and looked at them again.  
"I have unfinished business I still need to take care off." She stated simply.

"Hinata-san. Why did you leave Konohagakure? Please note that Naruto wants to talk to you. He wants to know what truly happened, so do your cousin and sister." Gaara tried, sounding hopeful.

She looked a bit concerned, then. "They're alright?" she turned her head again and muttered to herself "So they got out alive." She stood up from her position, walked to her humongous blade and swiftly pulled it out and clicked it on some sort of small harness on her back.

"Sensei," she called, "go take our stuff and we'll load our friend on your back afterwards." The wolf grunted in confirmation and disappeared in the bushes nearby. She turned to them again.

"I left because I had too." She said to them. "My clan was corrupted and goddamn stupid. They made deals with shady people they could never complete and played with people's lives. It had to be purged. If you know what they had done in the past, and were _going_ to do, you would have done the same. I admit it was kind of…conspicuous and rash, but I had no choice ." She said while absently adjusting the sword on her back.

Gaara blinked. What did they do, he thought, that deserved such an end?  
"You didn't kill your sister and cousin though, some staff survived and your father recovered as well." Gaara said to her.

Her gaze hardened again.  
"That asshole survived? Damn, I should've known he was still breathing. No matter, he will be dealt with sooner or later." She exclaimed with a scowl.

Gaara shivered, her hate rolled off her in waves. She somewhat reminded him of himself, when he was still lost in hate and madness.

"Why would you want to kill him?" he asked. Hinata looked him straight in the eyes.  
"He was working together with the elders. He was right up in their business. Again, if you would've known what he did and what he was planning…" she whispered the last part and shifted her enraged gaze to the ground.

"What were they planning, Hinata?" Temari asked softly. Hinata looked at her suspiciously.  
"Why would I tell you that?" Temari flinched visibly, not used to the cold tone that was coming out of the usually so gentle heiress.

The wolf returned. Hanging on both his sides, fastened around its middle with leather belts to keep it in balance, were a series of leather bags filled to the brim. Gaara saw bits of food poking out, weapons hanging out from the bags and even pieces of clothes peeking out through the cracks.

And most curious was an old looking katana strapped between the bags. The black hilt was tied shut to the sheath with a red rope. Even a seal was put on the side of the sheath, as if nobody was allowed to draw it. This woman was full of mysteries.

Hinata walked briskly over to the ice sculpture. She drew a horizontal line in the air with her hand and said "**Kaitō"** (_Thaw/Melt)_ The ice melted. The crumpled form of the leader tumbled to the ground.

The wolf had followed her. She pulled a large sheet out of one of the many bags and wrapped the man in it. She proceeded to pick him up and strapped him on the back of the wolf.

"That dog can pull some weight." Kankuro muttered. They still stood in the same place. It was just so weird. The girl they had been looking for appeared out of nowhere. She carried around a huge sword and had slaughtered all those shinobi in a matter of minutes. And she was accompanied by a huge dire wolf who could carry the weight of dozens of bags including a full grown man.

"This is getting weirder and weirder. What do we do Gaara? We _have _ to take her to Konoha." Kankuro said again. Gaara just shrugged and walked closer to Hinata.

"Please, won't you reconsider? Naruto will be crushed when he finds out we found you and you didn't want to return with us. And the Konoha elders are just one push away from branding you as a missing nin. Naruto doesn't want that, we all… " he said, gesturing towards himself and his siblings "don't want that."

She looked around at him. Her eyes shining with sobriety, and just a little bit of guilt, he thought.  
"I can't. Besides, I need to take this guy back to that village. I need that money." She said simply.  
Gaara's hopefull expression fell. He had failed his friends, yet again.

"Hinata, it would be to our advantage to return to Konoha." The wolf said suddenly, taking everyone, even Hinata, by surprise.  
Hinata rounded on the wolf and looked surprised.  
"But! We can't _go back_! There's still so much we have to do! I haven't searched through all the book stores in that village! I need more time!" Hinata cried desperately.

"We still need to see the library in Konoha. Besides, it is time to return. It's been so long since you left. They need to see you, and _you_ need to see _them_. It would work to our advantage if we made ourselves known to the shinobi world again. Properly." The wolf explained calmly.

Hinata looked flabbergasted, as if she didn't believe what was coming out of its mouth. Her mouth clapped up and down, almost like a fish.  
"I-I-I can't go back _now_! It just isn't the right time! And they won't accept me, accept _us._" she tried reasoning with the creature. It just shook his head.

"They will know about us sooner or later. They have seen us. It would be useless to try and hide now. They know what we look like." The gruff voice from the wolf reasoned, gesturing towards the sand siblings.

"We're good at hiding! We could- _oh_ never _mind_. FINE. We'll go back. I need to visit Kiba's and Shino's place anyway." Hinata huffed and stomped her foot on the ground. Gaara's eyes saddened a bit. She spoke so simply about the fact that she had to visit her teammates graves. He knew better, he was pretty good at seeing through masks that people put up to protect themselves.

The wolf sort of gave a toothy grin, but it looked awkward and many sharp fangs poked out from his lips.  
"Good." It said simply.

"Shouldn't have gone so close to the Fire Country." She muttered. Gaara didn't know why she had visit libraries and book stores, but he didn't care at the moment. All he cared about was that she would return with them. She looked back at him again.

"Fine. We'll come with. But I have to carry this guy back first. I'll catch up, you go already."  
"But we're already so close to Konoha! Oh, I know! You'll just leave! It's a trap! " Kankuro shouted while pointing at her. Hinata rolled her eyes. "I will return. I just want my reward. We're pretty fast, we'll catch up before you know it.

And that had been that. The sand siblings followed the path they were previously on and Hinata and her sensei set off in the opposite direction. Gaara and his siblings went on a leisurely pace, to give Hinata enough time to return in time. Kankuro was still muttering things under his breath, still not having recovered from the shock of running into Hinata.

The afternoon sun was still pretty high in the sky when they turned down the road that led straight to Konohagakure. They could see the high walls of the gates in the distance.

"Where the HELL is she? Catch up my ass. She totally bailed on us." Kankuro huffed and crossed his arms.  
"Kankuro, shut up." Temari muttered and rolled her eyes. But Kankuro had a point.  
"_Where is she anyway?"_ Gaara thought, looking around in the surrounding trees.

"You probably hear this every day, but I'm going to say it anyway. You're and Idiot. I've been following you guys for a while now." Echoed a voice from somewhere. Gaara's head snapped to the right. Hinata was crouched on a tree branch, the wolf on one behind her, lurking in the shadows.  
Kankuro did a double take and pointed at her.  
"Y-y-you! Where were you!" Kankuro said in a high pitched voice, totally ignoring the fact that she insulted him.  
"Like I said, I've been right beside you for over an hour. You just didn't notice me." Hinata said, examining her nails.

"That's impossible! We would've seen you or sensed you at least! And how did you come back so fast?!" Kankuro shouted at her.  
"I'm good at hiding my presence and chakra. And I'm pretty quiet. I even double backed and carried all his henchmen to the village too." She pulled out a large bag and jiggled it around, they could hear coins clinking around. "I got my reward too." She said, smirking.

"Then why didn't you show yourself to us?" Temari inquired.  
Hinata looked sideways, as if embarrassed.  
"I don't like travelling in the open. I prefer some cover. I didn't feel like it was necessary." She muttered.

The wolf suddenly appeared in front of them, having jumped from his branch.  
"Forgive us. We're not used to travelling with other companions. Her manners have disappeared completely these last few years. We just feel safer travelling where we are hidden." The wolf said to them. Hinata's jaw dropped.

"Ex_cuse _me?! I haven't-" Hinata tried to say, but the wolf interrupted her. "Get over here, kid. We're perfectly safe at this distance." Hinata glared but jumped down none the less.  
She reached over in one of the bags on the wolf's back and pulled out a pair of black boots. She put the coin bag in its place in the bag. "When did he get good manners so suddenly…" Hinata muttered.  
She sat on the ground and pulled the boots on. She stood up again and thumped the tip of them on the ground for a second.

Hinata looked at them and crossed her arms. They just stared at her. She looked to the side again, not used to the attention.  
"Well, let's go already!" She yelled and started walking towards the gates. The rest followed after her. The wolf trotting up to her side, tail swishing.

They arrived at the gates. They saw a figure coming closer and Temari started fidgeting. Finally, they saw a high ponytail bobbing their way. He stopped in front of them, Hinata and the overgrown dog had retreated to the back of the group.

Shikamaru scratched his head lazily and greeted them with a tired 'yo'. Temari punched him lightly on the arm.  
He glared at her and then said "What took you so long? You should've been here sooner. They're all already in the Hokage tower for the meeting." Shikamaru said, rubbing the spot Temari had punched.

"We got…sidetracked. We were ambushed on our way here."Gaara answered him. Shikamaru looked at him, surprised.  
"Attacked? By whom? So close to Konoha too. Must've been some little gang then of sorts." He asked Gaara. Gaara nodded.  
"Just some thieves. Someone helped us though." Gaara said and stepped aside. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as he saw the wild looking girl. She looked him straight in the eye.  
Realization dawned on the pineapple head and he rushed forward, grabbing Hinata's shoulder, eyes huge.

"H…Hinata?" he whispered.  
Hinata looked expressionless at him. "Long time no see, Shikamaru." She said to him. Shikamaru looked speechless, looking from Hinata to the sand siblings. Muttering things like "How?" "When-Where?".  
"She got rid of all the thieves for us. They were wanted for theft and murder. It was coincidence that we ran into her. She agreed to come with." Gaara said simply.  
Shikamaru smiled and clapped Hinata on the shoulder.  
"Well, you certainly changed. Who's the dog?" He asked.  
Hinata glared a bit. The wolf growled "How many times do I have to say that I'm not a part of that common _canis lupus_ breed." It barked at Shikamaru. Hinata chuckled at the joke.

Shikamaru jumped back. Muttering "what the" while doing so. "Yeah yeah he can talk, let's just get this over with. " Hinata said while waving her hand boringly and started heading through the gates, aiming for the Hokage tower.  
Shikamaru stared after her.

"Gomen, Shikamaru. She'll explain everything once we're there." Temari apologized and clapped her hands in front of her face. They heard a loud 'c'mon!' from Hinata and they followed her.  
All the while people were staring at the strangely dressed girl and her wolf companion.

A discussion was going on in a large, circular room. Windows were put in a straight line, following the back wall, illuminating the large room. You could see the whole of Konoha through it, as well as the heads on the mountain. The Hokage's room was filled with shinobi. Suddenly a door was thrown open and closed again. Shikamaru was panting and looked wide eyed.

"What is it, Shikamaru?" the village knucklehead asked. Shikamaru just looked at him and nodded.  
"It's –" he was interrupted as the door was rudely slammed open and crashed against the wall next to it. A foot was raised in the air. Said foot lowered and a girl walked through.  
"Jeesh, wouldn't let me through for the life of them." She said annoyed. All the occupants stared at her.  
"It's Hinata, she's been found!" Shikamaru yelled.  
A chorus of "NANI?" was heard as people jumped out of their chairs or stumbled out of their relaxed position.

-  
Yukata: looks like a Kimono. Traditional Japanese clothing. My version is a bit different, I don't know if this exist. But it looks like a yukata but it stops at the waist and instead of those big Obi belts she uses a large ribbon to tie it together.  
Hitai-ate: forehead protector  
Seals: **Inu (Dog), Tori (Bird), Saru (Monkey), Inu (Dog), Uma (Horse), Hitsuji (Ram), Ne (Rat), Tatsu (Dragon), Tori (Bird)**.Go to the wiki to see what they look like.  
Gaki: brat  
Hai: yes  
Gomen: sorry  
Canis Lupus: latin name for wolf, a dog should be 'canis lupus familiaris'. The wolf thinks dogs are lower than him. So dogs are a breed of the canis lupus :p  
I looked up words like 'melt', 'thaw' and stuff, put the translations were weird. I used Kaito, I hope that is a bit correct.  
**A/N: So that's it for the burly man squad.  
The swords Hinata uses are Dual Dao swords, I'll post a pic on my profile so you know what they look like. But you can easily look them up if you want to know what they look like :p I got the idea from Avatar:TLA, Zuko has those kind of swords.  
Fun fact: because of one of the movies, the 'inu' hand seal is commonly known to be used with ice release. That's why I started that technique with the inu seal :p  
If anyone knows what the yukata top is called (if it has an official name) please tell me, because it's awkward to describe it as 'vest' or 'yukata top'. It sounds weird :p I think it exists though, but I'm not sure.  
Next chapter, a lot will come clear as Hinata explains everything. The identity of the wolf will also be revealed, if you haven't guessed it already :p If you are wondering why the Sand Sibling haven't asked a lot of question, it's because they were too shocked to. And Hinata would've waited anyway to tell them because she would have to explain it all AGAIN when she arrived in Konoha. So I didn't make them ask too many things, but they asked some to give you a little bit of insight of what happened.  
IMPORTANT: This will be HinataOC or maybe you choose to leave Hinata single? I want your opinion! Gaara and Hinata will become good friends none the less, Gaara's one of the main characters in my fic. But I'll create some OC's later on, so I'm leaning towards HinataOC more. Tell me what you think!  
-Sinistrous**


	3. Chapter 3: The corruption of the Hyūga

A/N Chapter trois! A lot will come clear in this chapter. Like the sword Hinata carries and the wolf.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters. I owned the burly men squad but they're dead so… I own Nobu though, and Aburame Midori, since Shino's mom isn't known I invented one!  
If it is in full _italics_ it's a flashback.  
Listen to 'Below my feet' by Mumford and Sons at the part with the Aburame's.  
Japanese words explained at the end of the chapter.  
I'M SO SORRY this is sooo late! I had so much work for school and deadlines and stuff, then I had a small job and I was sick too for some days.

* * *

**- Chapter three: The corruption of the Hyūga clan  
**  
"I said DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" Yelled a voice and a guard rushed in, spear pointing at Hinata. She twirled a finger in her ear and ignored him.

"I'm warning you!" He yelled and poised to strike.  
"NOBU, LOWER YOUR SPEAR!" Naruto shouted and slamming his hands on his desk. All was quiet as the ninja guard lowered his spear and retreated a few steps before finally leaving the room to stand outside.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off before he could begin by Neji rushing forward. Neji grasped Hinata's shoulders and stared at her, limbs quivering.

Everybody stayed quiet and stared at the pair. Neji raked his gaze over her form a few times before cupping her cheek.  
"It cannot be…it simply cannot be…" he whispered and enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. Hinata looked somewhat surprised at first. But her eyes soon softened a bit and one arm encircled her cousin.  
The sand siblings, quiet throughout the whole ordeal, stepped through the doorway. They stopped and looked at the pair in front of them.

"Tadaima, Neji-niisan." Hinata said softly.  
"Okaeri, Hinata." Neji croaked out, sobbing as he finished. His firm grip tightening. All the occupants of the room smiled as they looked at the pair.

After a few seconds Neji released her and wiped his eyes. He smiled and stepped back, allowing the rest to see her. The whole rookie nine was there, except for her deceased teammates. She felt a small twinge in her chest as she realized this.  
Naruto gave her a teary grin. Eyes closed as his grin stretched far on his face.

"Okaerinasai, Hinata." He also said. "What took you so long?"  
Hinata grinned. "I had a lot of stuff going on, did some travelling and training. I ran into them though, so I kind of didn't have a choice." She said and pointed to the sand siblings behind her. Naruto craned his neck to look over her shoulder. He grinned again and gave Gaara a thumbs-up. Gaara just stared and shook his head, as if saying 'no problem'.  
Suddenly, and exploding mix of voices filled the room.

A chaotic rush of voices reached her ears. Questions flew at her from every direction.  
"Where were you?!"  
"Where did you get that outfit?!"  
"WHAT THE HELL IS THE DEAL WITH THAT HUGE SWORD?!"  
"Why did you take so long?!"  
"WHO THE HELL IS THAT WOLF!"  
"I swear to Kami if you don't show me your sword I'll-"

"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!" Naruto shouted over all the questions. Everyone shut up immediately. Hinata grinned. He may have been an idiot, but he turned out to be a pretty good leader after all.  
She stepped forward. "So, Naruto the Rokudaime Hokage. It was only your trial week when I left." Hinata said and stopped a few meters from his desk. He smiled at her and nodded. Hinata sighed and scratched her head.

"Alright, sit all your asses down for a minute and I'll begin explaining." Some took a chair and some leaned against a wall. Temari, Kankuro, Gaara and the wolf fully entered the room and closed it the door, leaning against it. Many stared at the large creature that stepped inside.

Hinata nodded in approval.  
"Alright, first things first." She said and reached behind her back. She ripped the huge sword from her back and slammed it in front of her feet, the blade rooted in the wooden floor, hilt facing up.  
"I suppose some of you know what this is…" she asked.  
"**Kubikiri Houcho.**" _(Head Chopping Cleaver)_ said a voice from the window. Hinata glanced at the figure of Hatake Kakashi sitting on the window sill, an Icha-Icha Paradise book placed in his hand and a thumb flipping a page. "I recognize the size and the shape, that hole and the half-moon hole are a trait only Kubikiri Houcho has."_  
_  
"Correct." She said, still looking at him.  
"It was Momichi Zabuza's sword." Kakashi added.  
"Again, correct." Hinata retorted.  
"Why do you have it, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked. Hinata shifted her gaze to him.

"Simple, I got it from his grave. When I started travelling, not long after I left Konoha, I heard about the sword. I was close to Nami no Kuni, you see. I had heard of Zabuza and his sword before of course, but when I heard some guys talking about it and something clicked in my head. I headed towards Nami no Kuni, crossing the Naruto bridge. I went to Momochi Zabuza's grave and there it was. It wasn't easy to get it, though. It took me about a week and a half I think." She said looking up in thought, scratching her cheek.

"Two weeks." Said a gruff voice from the back of the room. Everyone turned their heads but did not know where it came from, so their heads bobbed up and down in every direction.  
Hinata sighed again and waved her hand, beckoning the wolf to her side. Some stepped aside as the creature patted over to Hinata's side. "This is gonna sound weird." She muttered.

"This, " she said pointing at the large creature, "is Momochi Zabuza."  
Everybody stared at her, jaws dropped. The silence was thick, not even an awkward cough was heard. You could hear a pin drop.  
"…What?" Naruto said, looking confused.  
Hinata took a seat on the edge of Naruto's desk, so she was facing most of them.  
"There was a rumour going on when I wandered around in Nami no Kuni. People that were travelling, having heard of Zabuza's grave and the sword, came to the town. They wanted to know if the rumour was true. That he was really buried there, and that his sword sat upon it. And that it, apparently, was cursed. "  
"Cursed?" Sakura questioned. Hinata nodded.

"Their aim was the sword, ultimately. They said that many tried, but something was out there that was stopping them. People came back injured and scared, said it wasn't worth the trouble. It was confirming the rumour of the curse, really. They all said that there was some kind of monster in the vicinity preventing them from getting that sword. Intrigued, I went to investigate. I also wanted Kubikiri Houcho. I needed to grow stronger. But I had just left Konoha and I was weak. I headed over there anyway. When I tried reaching for the sword a shadow crashed against my side and it threw me away from the grave. It was a huge dire wolf, growling at me."

She gestured towards the creature standing next to her.  
"It was him. He said, startling me by the way, that all those that couldn't prove him or herself to it, that they weren't worthy of the cleaver. So I tried fighting him, and failed horribly. I kept on trying though." She closed her eyes, remembering it as if it was yesterday.

_"Why are you doing this?! I only need that sword!" Hinata cried at the creature, after having crashed yet again against a nearby tree. Blood seeped through her clothing, dripping on the wet grass.  
"Why do you need it, kid?" he said.  
"I… I need to get stronger! For that I need that sword. I have to do…something. I need power!" she shouted at him, getting up again shakily, grunting with the effort.  
The wolf shook its head and said "No." Hinata bit her lip and tears of frustration sprung in her eyes. "Why won't you LISTEN TO ME! WHY?!" she wailed and rushed forward, kunai in hand. Drawing more and more blood.  
_  
"But I didn't want to give up. I spent days out there, fighting him now and then. Trying not to respond to his taunts. I didn't have much baggage with me. I only had a small blanket and some food that was gone in a day or two. So I barely had food and bandages.  
I just slept on the ground, somewhere in the bushes. I kept getting more and more injuries. My gauze and ointments were running out. But I had made a decision. I would keep trying to prove myself. I was used to it, I had to do it all my life." She shrugged.

_The canines of the wolf raked across her arm, tearing her sweater in ribbons. Well, what was left of it anyway. Blood dripped from large gashes everywhere. She was wobbling and panting. Her vision blurred.  
The wolf looked at her with interest.  
"Why do you still keep trying? You will never beat me. You will die. Return home, child." The wolf said to her and turned around, walking away. Hinata stared after him, still panting and slightly tottering sideways now and then._

"I just…I just want to be able to b-be something in this world. I want to prove myself. I-I need to fulfill my mission. If-if I don't destroy…that thing…all will be..." She answered desperately, she kept shaking her head. Her eyes were unfocused, she willed herself to ignore the darkness that was creeping up on her sight. She wobbled a few steps forward, gasping in pain. The wolf stopped and his ears perked up, intrigued. She grasped this sign of attention like a lifeline. "I'm not trying to beat you. Because I never …never will anyway. I …I want to prove my determination. I want…I just want to find…who I am and what I can accomplish...I know I can't beat you. I just want you to see me… for who I am."  
Slowly she crashed to the ground, unconscious. The wolf hmphed and walked over to the unconscious girl and licked some of her wounds.  
"Good answer, kid."  
  
"He never wanted me, or anyone, to beat him. You just had to prove your worth. It was never about the fighting, it was about determination, about stamina and about spirit. " She said smiling at the wolf. "Nobody got that, they all fought him once or twice and then ran away. When I woke up, he was sitting beside me and Kubikiri Houcho lay between us."

_Hinata woke up, feeling lightheaded still. All this blood loss wasn't healthy, she supposed. She put one hand on her head and shifted the other. She flinched when she felt something cold between her fingertips. She glanced sideways and gasped. A large cleaver like sword laid next to her.  
"Kubikiri…Houcho. It can't be." She whispered.  
"It's yours." Said a voice close to her. She looked up and saw the wolf sitting in front of her.  
"You have proved yourself to me. You are worthy of wielding my former companion. My third arm, if you will." It said and bowed its head.  
She look back at the sword and slowly gripped the hilt. She gripped it with two hands and heaved it up, grunting at the effort. She gaped at it as it stood upright. It was huge, and heavy. No way was she going to learn how to do this by herself, she decided._

Hinata glanced at the wolf.  
"So, will you be my fourth arm then, Zabuza-sensei?" she asked him.  
The wolf looked surprised at her request. He regarded her with his murky brown eyes.  
"So be it."

"We have been travelling together ever since. We've been practically all over the place, I'm known as a bounty hunter mostly. That's why those hoodlums called me that name. I'm quite popular in some regions. "Hinata grinned and scratched the top of Zabuza's head. The wolf tsked and pawed at her hand.  
"But that doesn't really explain how he could be the _real_ Momochi Zabuza." Naruto stated.

"I have no idea how it happened myself." Said Zabuza, looking at Naruto. "All I know is that I woke up, and I saw my own grave next to me. I can prove it if you want, I still have all my memories."  
Naruto stood up and regarded him. "What about Haku?" he asked. Zabuza sat unmoving, not even blinking.  
"I did not see him anywhere when I awoke and haven't since." He said. The wolf walked over to Kubikiri Houcho and pushed its nose against it.

"I can sense him in here though." He said softly. Hinata nodded. "He's said it to me before too. He says that somehow, Haku's presence is in that sword. Like his spirit is trapped in this wolf form. I kind of believe him. Ever since I got that sword, I was able to use Hyōton jutsu. Without any water around." Hinata said to Naruto, who looked surprised. "Hyōton jutsu? But…" He muttered.

"And I can feel something in there. Kubikiri Houcho used to be sentient, but Haku's spirit sort of merged with it I suppose. I can feel it, when I hold it in my hands." She said while looking at her palms.  
"I don't know why we were pulled back from the realm of the death, but it has happened, you just need to accept that fact." Zabuza said, pulling back from the sword with a sigh.  
Naruto hummed and put his fingers around his chin in thought. After a few moments he nodded.

"Alright, I believe you." A collective gasp went through the room. "How can you believe them so easily, baka ?!" Ino shouted at him.  
Naruto looked around the room, eyes clear. "I just do. I know that they're telling the truth. What would they gain from telling lies? I trust Hinata. Besides, have you seen a wolf talk before? One that isn't a summon?" Naruto countered. Ino gaped like fish. Some gave Naruto a doubting look, others smiled at him. Naruto grinned and looked from Zabuza to Hinata.

"Now, continue." Naruto sat down again. Hinata nodded and started.  
"As you know, I left after I destroyed the Hyūga clan. I had a good reason to. I left…" She walked over to Zabuza and fiddled between the bags hanging from the leather harness. She pulled out the katana that was strapped between them. "…because of this." She slammed the sealed katana on Naruto's desk.

Naruto looked at it, reluctant to pick it up. "What is it?" he commanded, sounding serious once again.  
**"Kishokan no Dōtanuki *"** Hinata said darkly. "It belonged to my mother." She added softly.  
"I advise you to never remove the seals. This thing is pure evil." she said, turning around and looking at everyone individually. "Never touch it."

Some shivered. She turned around again and stared at the sword, Zabuza growled. The katana quivered and wobbled for a moment on the desk. Hinata glared at it.  
"This katana is very, very old. It is said that it holds tremendous power. Something strong, and evil, has been sealed in this thing. I haven't found a lot about it, the documents on it are few and spread out over the world. There isn't a lot known about it. So far, I have found out that it has always belonged to my mother's family. In ancient times, the thing that is sealed inside, raged across this plain of existence. It spread fear, flame and darkness. Humans were dying. They weren't able to destroy the creature but they did find a way to seal it in the Dōtanuki."

"They say that only the family that sealed it in ancient times are able to draw the sword without catching flame and dying. Any other mortal who breaks the seal and draws it goes up in flame and the creature is released. It is believed that some of the family were able to control the power of Kishokan no Dōtanuki. So far, all the documents I have found say the same thing at the end:_ "All was wreathed in flame, as she stepped on our plain and burned all in her path." _" she spoke. The occupants in the room shivered.

"Time went by, and my mother was the last descendent. Her family had already dwindled down to just a few, and her parents didn't have any other children besides her. They didn't breed that much with other families, as to not further thin the blood. If the blood thinned too much, the seal could break. A lot of my mother's family was infertile because the sealing took a lot out of them. They were 'cursed', as I was told. My mother died young. I never knew about the sword then, so I couldn't ask her."

"Even if I have the blood of that family in my veins, I refuse to draw the sword." Hinata said after a few curious glances. "I can't control it like some could in the past. Besides, 'controlling' is not the correct words. Those who could draw it without releasing the thing inside were not themselves really. They killed and maimed. It's as if that sword changed them. Even if I could control it, I do not wish to use it."

The room was silent as she continued. "After… Shino and Kiba died, I was a wreck. I started wandering around the house. I spend a lot of time in my mother's old room. One day, I found a secret compartment in the wall by accident. Inside were documents. Papers on the sword and the creature within. But also, notes on the clan meetings my father and the elders had. My mother was never allowed in there, since she wasn't a pure blood, she wasn't actual family."

She gripped the Dōtanuki in both hands and squeezed it hard, glaring again. "Some notes were boring and tedious. But as I read further I read some disturbing stuff. My mother's and father's wedding was arranged. I figured that out ages ago. But then I found out the reason why."

She raised the sword in the air. "It was because of this. They used my mother to gain _this_. The Hyūga clan wanted to have this in their grubby hands, they tried to convince my mother to use the sword. They wanted her to become their weapon. My mother found out of course before they even tried asking her. She declined their offer. After my mother had me and Hanabi, she spied on another clan meeting. She never trusted them. She found out that they were planning to use me or Hanabi to unseal the sword and use it for their purpose. They decided to… get rid of my mother, she had fulfilled her purpose in the clan. She wasn't useful anymore."

Her voice cracked. She gripped the sword even tighter, knuckles turning white. "My mother tried to take me and the newly born Hanabi away, but they got to her before she had the chance. She was weakened because of child birth, killed her and told me that she had died during Hanabi's birth. They have lied to me all this time. " She looked away, affronted. "The worst thing is, Hiashi approved of her murder. He helped kill her. I will **never** forgive him for that." Hinata said looking at Naruto. "They were probably going to get rid of me too. They saw me as weak and unworthy of the heir title. It was even worse after my teammates died. So it got _personal._" She spoke, her eyes narrowing to slits, her posture rigid.

"The Hyūga clan was corrupted. But they were stupid as well. Mother hid a letter together with all the documents in that compartment. She explained as much as she could, it was written in haste I suppose, just before she tried to leave. All that she knew was in it. She said that if I ever found all of this, to make sure that I find a way to destroy that sword." Hinata finished her story in a whisper. She turned around and faced Neji.

"That was the day that I destroyed the Hyūga clan and killed the elders. It had to be purged. Only a few were still uncorrupted. Most of the branch members survived, they had nothing to do with my mother's death and the deception. As well as you and Hanabi. Unfortunately, Hiashi" ,she spat " survived. " Neji looked at her with a pained expression. "I…I never knew." He whispered. "Of course you didn't, nobody but the elders and the clan head knew." She said to him.

She raised the sword again, for everyone to see. "That's why I left. I needed space. I needed to become stronger on my own. And I needed to find out more about this thing." She said shaking the Dōtanuki a bit.  
"Its history, the stories around it, as much as I can. And I need to find out how to destroy it for good. It has caused enough misery." She concluded and put it back on the desk. Naruto examined it from afar.

"How long does the seal last?" asked Gaara. Hinata looked at him and answered "I can't be sure. I kind of weakened it on the night I attacked the Hyūga clan. Remember the flames, Neji?" she said looking at her cousin and he nodded "Yes. You never excelled in Katon Jutsu, I wondered how you did it for years." He said to her. "Well, I never actually drew the sword, but I killed them all with the scabbarded katana. I could not have killed them...without the sword though. It gave me much, much more strenght. Even sheathed."

"The flames sharpened a fictional edge to it. I lost it after reading all the notes. I grabbed the Dōtanuki from the stand in mother's old room and it kind of…influenced me, even if I didn't draw it. Flame wrapped around me, like you said, and I felt a swelling rage inside me. The seal has weakened though. So I have no idea how long it'll last. That's why I need to find out its secrets and fast. It still weakens as we speak." She said to them all.

"Another thing. It reacts to blood and it is drawn to me, because of my mother's blood in me. If I enter a field were there has been a lot of bloodshed in the past, it is drawn to me even more. And I will try to unsheathe the sword unconsciously. I can even feel its pull in Konoha. The thing inside it craves blood and destruction. It will try to get out. It is safest, and most dangerous that I carry it." She finished with a grim expression.

Some sighed and other scratched their head. It was a lot to take in. "What was your mother's name?" Asked Temari.  
"Hayashi Kana." Hinata said to her. Temari nodded and said "I heard about the Hayashi's. They originated from Hayashi no Kuni ."_(Land of the woods_) Hinata nodded to her. "I've tried going there and finding out more about them. Maybe there is some info on the katana too. But they're wary of strangers, I can't get in without an official pass saying I am on a mission or a legalized journey. I've tried sneaking in but they found out so I had to flee. But I really need to get in there someday. I need to know…about my mother." She looked to the ground in frustration.

"Well, we can fix that." Naruto said, he raised his hand as if asking to shake it. "I'll make a deal with you, Hinata. If you become a shinobi of Konohagakure again, you can travel wherever you want to get more info on how to destroy that thing." He grinned at her. "Just promise that you will accept our help and call this your home again." He finished. Hinata looked at him in shock. Her hands were fidgeting with the hem of her Yukata top.

"But… I…I need to do this by myself. Beside I did so much damage…people would never…"  
"No worries, once they see you're a Konoha nin again, they'll start to trust you. Besides, we all trust you. No problem at all!" He said with a wide grin again, gesturing to his hand.

Hinata hesitated. She felt a nudge in the knee, she looked down and Zabuza was urging her forward with his nose as if saying 'go on'. She gazed at him and then at Naruto.  
"Another thing, if you want to become stronger I can put you up for the Anbu exam. You'll gain strength AND status. Anbu get a choice: missions inside of the village or outside. If you're Anbu you'll have more travel options _and _ an official travelling permit." He proposed and grinned even wider. The evening sun shined through the window, illuminating his form.  
Hinata stared at him, speechless. After all these years, he was still shining brightly. Filling her heart with wonder and happiness.  
She closed her eyes and gave a teary smile.  
"Un, Naruto-kun." She reached her hand out, using her old nickname for him.

But before she was able to grab his hand, the door slammed open again. Hitting Lee's face.  
"Is it true?!" Yelled a voice. "Is Hinata back?!" Hinata had turned around so sharply at the sound that she hurt her neck. Her eyes widened as she recognized the voice. As the dust settled the two figures became clear.

A slightly older but otherwise perfect replica of Shino entered the room, accompanied with a woman that was fairly short. Aburame Shibi and Aburame Midori. _"Shino's parents. "  
_Hinata gasped and dropped to the ground, one knee hit the floor and one knee bend. Her right fist punched the wooden floor and one thumped against her chest, leaning on her knee. She bowed her head. Everyone, including the pair that had entered, regarded her in surprise.

"Sumimasen. " _I'm sorry._ She whispered.  
"Honto ni, Sumimasen!" _I'm truly sorry_. She yelled hoarsely. The eyes of Aburame Midori softened.  
"Oh child."  
"Sumimasen….sumimasen….sumimasen." Hinata kept repeating, whispering. Midori's eyes teared up and she walked forward. She bend down to Hinata's level and lifted her head. A wide curtain of long brown hair fell around her bended frame. Hinata's wide eyes met her black ones.  
"You have _nothing_ to apologize for, Hinata. You did nothing wrong."  
"But-"  
"_You did nothing wrong!_" she said more firmly. Her face softened again her eyes tearing up even more, until they rolled down her cheeks. Aburame Shibi smiled at his wife.

"Shino would have been so, _so _proud of you. So, so proud." Midori whispered. Hinata's eyes widened even more. Midori pulled Hinata in a hug and started sobbing. Shibi shuffled forward to the two and patted Hinata on the head. "_We_ are proud of you." He said in a gruff voice.

Hinata slowly put her hands around Aburame Midori. A muffled sob came out of her. Everyone in the room smiled softly, Sakura and Ino couldn't hold in their tears and started sobbing on each other's shoulders..

Aburame Midori broke the hug and sniffled. She reached in a pocket and pulled out a brown package. She started to unwrap it with shaky, clumsy hands while sniffling and rubbing her eyes.  
"Shino would have wanted you to have it." She put the wrapping paper down and shoved something cold in her hand. She looked down and came face to face with a hitai-ate.  
Her eyes widened as she recognized it.  
"This is…Shino's…?" she muttered. Midori and Shibi nodded. Hinata bowed her head again and muttered a quiet 'Arigato'.

The atmosphere crumbled as another voice entered the scene.  
"WHO'S BEING SO GODDAMNED MUSHY OVER THERE!" people jumped as two ninja entered the room.  
"Inuzuka Tsume, Hana-san." Hinata whispered.  
"This room is getting crowded, any more want to join the party?" Kankuro said and stuck his head outside the door, looking left and right. Inuzuka Tsume narrowed her eyes and kicked the door shut with her foot against Kankuro's head. Kankuro yelped and held his head, yelling "THE FUCK MAN!" loudly.

Inuzuka Tsume held her glare and briskly trudged forward, she pushed the Aburame's out of the way picked Hinata up by her collar.  
"YOU! What do you have to say for yourself, girl!" Tsume yelled in Hinata's face. The poor girl looked like a frightened rabbit.  
"I-I-I-I"  
"Don't you DARE start stuttering now! " Tsume interrupted her, shaking her form. She glared even more and shouted louder, her face getting more scarlet in rage by the second.  
"Is this how I raised you, pup?! Leaving without saying a proper goodbye? Without telling me beforehand? Enlighten me, is that how I raised you?!" Tsume demanded.  
"Demo I-I-I"  
"WHAT WAS THAT?" Tsume yelled, a vein popping on her forehead shaking Hinata even more. Everyone sweat dropped.  
"NO M'AM!" Hinata yelled.  
"THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING?!" Tsume yelled. Suddenly her mask crumbled and she pulled Hinata in a hug and sobbed loudly.

"Stupid girl! You had me worried sick! Running off like that, you could've died. Kiba will smack me on the head in the afterlife when he hears of this. I couldn't bear to lose you too, pup." Inuzuka Tsume muttered.  
Hinata's eyes teared up again.  
"You…don't blame me for his death?" She asked silently.  
"Of course not, stupid child! You brought him back. You brought my boy back with you. Kiba would be proud of you.. You've changed. You're stronger, more confident. But don't change completely, Hinata. Please. For Kiba."  
Hinata hugged the woman she considered to be her second mother.

Gaara regarded them with some confusion. Hana noticed this. "She used to come over all the time. She was like a second daughter to my mother. Being with the Inuzuka clan did a lot of good for her confidence, Kiba was good for her. She came for dinner many times. So did Shino. They really were close. After…they died, she never came back. Not once. I think she was scared to face us. She thought it was her fault." Hana finished with a whisper.

Gaara regarded the pair with a warm expression, but still slightly confused. This was why she was so reluctant to return. She was afraid of facing them. But this…love… was still so foreign to him.

Hinata sniffled one last time and Tsume released her. Snot dribbled from her nose and she sniffed loudly. Tsume looked at Hinata, her head going up and down.  
"You've lost weight. You look like a stick with some muscles. I'm making steak tonight. You need some red meat in you, pup. And Akamaru wants to see you." Tsume muttered and rubbed and patted Hinata on the head, scratching her cheeks reddened cheeks. Hinata smiled at the mention of the familiar nin dog.  
"You know, you resemble Kiba a lot. He may have complained about you a lot, but he was proud to call you his mother." Hinata said to her. Tsume smiled and rubbed her head even harder. With a final flick to her forehead she left the room, followed by the Aburame's and Hana.  
"I'm expecting you tonight, pup! " Tsume called over her shoulder as she left. Hana gave a smile and shut the door.

For a second, everyone stood there, basking in the warmth the two families had brought with them. Until Kankuro ruined the moment.  
"Well, that was awful. Sheesh, has that woman never heard about being civil?" Temari conked him on the head and muttered "Baka." Kankuro rubbed his head and muttered "Bitch." Temari enclosed her hands on his throath.

Hinata turned serious again. She looked at Naruto, her hands on her hips.  
"Alright. I accept as long as I get stronger and I can travel. And on another condition."  
" I get to kill Hyūga Hiashi." Hinata finished darkly. Naruto lost his smile. The others stopped what they were doing and looked slightly horrified at Hinata's back.

"I can't allow that. Hiashi will be confronted about all of this. If he confesses he will lose his status as a clan head and ninja. He has been crippled since you left, he hasn't done any missions anyway. But I can't allow you to kill him. This is not the way we do things around here." Hinata glared at him and finally sighed.

"All right, but I can't promise I won't attack him if he confronts me. Keep him away from me, and all is good." She said, a tad disappointed.

Naruto grinned again and raised his hand. Hinata tied Shino's former Hitai-ate around her forehead and proceeded to firmly clap her hand in his.  
"Deal." They both said in unison.  
The rookie nine clapped and cheered, hugging each other and grinning. The sand siblings smiled as Naruto gave them a thumbs-up.

Hyūga Hinata has, finally, returned.

* * *

* **Kishokan no Dōtanuki**: Kishokan was the nickname of General Kiyomasa and translates as "Devil General". It was said that he was a ferocious and ruthless fighter. He was feared and respected. I thought it fit the creature in the sword :p the sword is a Dōtanuki, which is a fictional sword (or school of sword smiths) of Japanese lore. General Kiyomasa used Dōtanuki swords :p If you look it up you'll see, I'll post a link on my profile once this is uploaded :p

Tadaima: I'm home  
Okaeri/Okaerinasai: welcome home  
Kami: god  
Nami No kuni: Land of waves  
Kubikiri Houcho: Head Chopping Cleaver  
Katon Jutsu: Fire Jutsu  
Hayashi : forest  
Hayashi no Kuni: Land of the woods  
Sumimasen: I'm sorry/I'm so sorry.  
Honto ni sumimasen: I'm truly/really sorry (honto ni= really/truly)  
Arigato: Thank you  
Un: yes  
Demo: but  
I'm sure 'tsked' isn't a word. But how could you word it otherwise?!  
**A/N: wow, emotional chapter eh? I want Hinata to seem serious and a bit emotionless. But she's overcome by emotion in this chap. She had all these feelings and these confessions propped tightly inside, she's letting it all out. Sorry it took so long!  
So yeah all the rookie nine was there. Hanabi will appear in the next chapter.  
Inuzuka Tsume calls her children things like kid and pup and stuff. Since she's a dog person I thought that would be funny :p I don't know if she does this in the manga though.  
So Hinata is back, and she will be compete in the Anbu exam. That'll be the next arc of sorts. She'll also travel a bit, looking for clues about the sword.  
If you don't get the 'fourth arm' stuff, it means that Kubikiri Houcho is her third, so Zabuza should be her fourth. I thought some might find it confusing xD  
I really liked the idea of the Dōtanuki, I hope you liked it too! More will become clear about it as the story evolves. Hope you liked the chapter! Tell me if something is not clear.  
-Sinistrous**


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